Getting Bored Late In Tournament...any Advice

[texan_driver 0]

I've been playing some online MTTs (usually 300+ entrants or so) lately and have found that I've been making it "deep" rather consistently, but get bored and make a stupid play and go out probably earlier than I should. When I say deep I mean at least 70% of the entrants eliminated. I find that after about 3 or 4 hours of play, I get bored/restless and end up making a stupid bluff or try to make a hero call and blow off a significant portion of my chips. I typically play a small-ball approach and this gets me pretty far, but I've been having a hard time making it to the final table lately. I've been going out a lot just prior to the money or just after the money...mostly from a random bad play instead of just getting chipped away. So I think part of it is that I might be pressing and gambling and making a play I never would make normally. And also is that I get restless and lose concentration and make a stupid play, that once again I normally don't make. I know it sounds like I'm self-diagnosing my problem, but does anyone have any advice on how to maintain concentration/focus late in a tourny to prevent doing a stupid play. Anyone else have similar problems and be able to overcome it? Thanks.

[mike8732 0]

It sure it happens to everyone, especially when you go card dead for a while. Just try to stay focused.

[potatoman 0]

This problem may never go away completely. Just about everyone makes a silly mistake late in a tournament from time to time. For me, sometimes I fail to adjust to the fact that the quality of play late in a tournament is much better than it was in the beginning. Everyone is different, so what works for me, might not work for you.These things might help:1) Do not play tired, depressed or drunk.2) On breaks, actually take a break. Stretch, go outside, do some pushups. Whatever. Come back feeling fresh.3) Keep web browsing to a min. Focus on the game. A read you pick up on early in a tournament can really pay off big later. This will also reduce the likelihood of you making a play in the wrong situation.4) Focus on your play, not your results. The mantra I say to myself at the start of every hand, when I'm in a slump is : I'm going to play this hand the best I can. Not, "I need to double up." or "I hope I don't get bad beat again." Emotions are a negative in poker. The only thing you have control over is your own play. Remind yourself that plenty of people win tournaments playing the cards in front of them. No hero calls, no sick bluffs. They're patient, observant and capitalize on other people's mistakes.5) Learn to let go of the emotional baggage of making a stupid play, but don't forget the mistake. You shouldn't make a habit of repeating the same mistake over and over again. Learn from them and improve.That's all I got:)

[aggie3 0]

I have to disagree just a bit with potatoman. I used to have this problem a lot when I first started, but what finally cured it for me WAS doing something else to distract me from getting too restless. I watch tv in the background or browse the net a bit, but not so much that I don't watch my opponents betting patterns, just enough to keep me from having a matusow type blowup. stay calm and know it will come, even when you're card dead. But potato man is spot on with points 1,2,4 and 5, anyways that's what has helped me.

[bezeert_ps 0]

When I start to get bored, slow table action, card dead for a while, I'll start replaying previous hands in the tourny and self-evaluate. It's a good "distraction" from the current play and it's probably more beneficial then surfing espn.com.